<p>I've heard many admissions officers claim that they can "detect" when an essay has been "modified by a college counselor" or something of the sort. I'm not saying I'm a great writer or anything, but what if my writing style is just more typical of an older person? What if I like to write in a formal style because that's just how I write? Would they mistake that for a doctored essay? I have almost perfect SAT writing and critical reading scores, and straight A's in English. Shouldn't I be allowed to write in a more complex style?</p>
<p>I understand your concerns. I think it is valid. There are some kids who are very advanced writers and I do think it is very difficult to discern an adult’s influence versus that type of precocious talent.</p>
<p>Well, if they’re saying “modified”, what it sounds to me like is if about 60% of an essay has really basic syntax, except you’ll have a really sophisticated word here, and a surprisingly intricate clause there. You end up with a Frankenstein sort of essay when that happens, but I think they’re used to the idea of some teenagers being more eloquent with the written word.</p>
<p>I don’t really know, but I would think that if an admissions officer had doubts about an essay, Step 1 would be to check it against grades and test scores. If CR/W scores are 700+, that should be enough to cancel the doubts. If the scores are in the 500s, then not so much. I wouldn’t worry. Keep remembering that good schools get thousands or tens of thousands of essays every year. You will hardly be the first applicant to submit a well-written essay. Trust the system.</p>
<p>That makes sense and is reassuring, WasatchWriter.</p>
<p>Even the most sophisticated writers have their own distinct voice. I think “voice” is independent of level of writing. Look at the works of famous authors- they sound different. Paintings of master artists look different .</p>